Ashton Jeanty Reportedly Splits Raiders Insiders, 'Strong Case' Being Made to Draft OL

The Las Vegas Raiders draft room is reportedly split over using the No. 6 pick to draft former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, Raiders general manager John Spytek "spent substantial time doing homework" on Jeanty, "but strong cases are being made in their draft room to go offensive line instead."

The Raiders could use help at both positions after ranking 22nd in the NFL in run block win rate and 32nd in rushing yards per game last season.

The 2025 NFL draft is set to kick off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Green Bay.

When asked about Jeanty during the Raiders' pre-draft press conference last Friday, Spytek declined to discuss specific players but spoke about the importance of running backs.

"We just saw Saquon Barkley change the Eagles in one year," Spytek said, adding that his experience as a player at Michigan had shaped his view of the importance of the run game.

Earlier that week, however, Spytek also discussed the importance of the offensive line when speaking with Bucky Brooks and Rhett Lewis on the Raiders NFL Draft Podcast.

When asked about the biggest lesson he learned in Tampa Bay, where Spytek worked with the Super Bowl LV winning Buccaneers, the general manager answered: "I have a deep belief in the physicality and the violence required to play football, and it starts with the big boys up front."

"I think you can trace that back to my playing days at Michigan, too. That's how we were built in those years, and it's kind of who I am to my core. We were very intentional with it in Tampa, and the results, I think, speak for themselves," Spytek said.

Spytek noted that Tristan Wirfs, selected by the Bucs with the No. 13 pick of the 2020 draft, was the common element in the last two years of Tampa Bay's offensive line success.

The general manager went on to say he believes there is "no better way" to build an offensive line than through the draft.

"Those guys are hard to find in free agency, and if you find them you either got really lucky, like we did with Ryan Jensen, or you probably overpaid for somebody," Spytek said. "To me, that's just the reality of how the o-line and d-line work."

Given the Bucs' success in building around Wirfs, it seems likely Spytek would be willing to at least consider using a first-round pick on an offensive lineman. One potential candidate could be LSU's Will Campbell, who is ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect on Bleacher Report's latest 2025 NFL Draft Big Board.

The Raiders currently hold nine picks in the upcoming draft. In addition to No. 6, the franchise controls the No. 37 and No. 68 picks heading into the weekend.